Dec. 05: Boras at his best

Scott Boras has a reputation for getting the most for his client. He’s the elite agent that represents Barry Zito, the biggest fish in the free-agent pond, as well as Greg Maddux. The number on the table for Zito is already $102 million, with all probability the number coming out of the agent’s camp.

It’s not what he’ll get for Zito that makes Boras so valuable, but what he’ll get for Maddux.

Last night came the report Maddux was about to sign with the Padres, who play in the town the pitcher lives. The Dodgers were seemingly out of it and he wasn’t going back to Chicago. Maddux wants to stay on the West Coast, but there didn’t appear interest from the Giants, Angels, Athletics or Mariners. Still, the lobby buzz is that there’s a “mystery team’’ that has surfaced in the last minute. So, the Padres’ deal isn’t done, yet.

The intent of this “mystery team,’’ is to extract more from the Padres, either in terms of money or an option year. Boras did the same thing in the 1998 offseason during the Bernie Williams negotiations. It was Yankees or Red Sox, but somehow another team surfaced.

It will be that way with Zito, too. It’s not going to be just Texas and the Mets. Somebody else will surface. Mark my words.